Nataša Pirc Musar, a lawyer and one-time attorney for former first lady Melania Trump, was elected Slovenia's first female president on Sunday, Politico and The Associated Press reported.
Musar won the presidency in a runoff election against conservative Anže Logar, the country's former foreign minister. With nearly all of the votes tabulated, Musar led Logar 54 percent to 46 percent, according to Slovenian media reports obtained by AP.
Musar's election highlights the small European nation's rising liberal bloc. Slovenia's center-left coalition also won a victory in parliamentary elections this past April.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"My first task will be to open a dialogue among all Slovenians," Musar said in a victory speech, per AP. "In the democratic election, Slovenians have shown what kind of a country they want."
Logar conceded the race, and said he hoped Musar "will carry out all the promises" of her campaign.
Musar becomes the first woman to be elected president in Slovenia since the country became independent following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. While the role is mostly ceremonial, the president does nominate a number of top officials.
A well-known attorney and human rights advocate in Slovenia, Musar worked on a number of high-profile cases in the country. However, her most prominent client remains Melania Trump, a native of Slovenia, who hired Musar during her husband's presidency.
In 2016, Musar and Trump filed a lawsuit against a Slovenian magazine for suggesting that she had worked as a high-end escort, BBC News reported. The case was settled out of court.
-
Political cartoons for October 26Cartoons Sunday’s editorial cartoons include Young Republicans group chat, Louvre robbery, and more
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
